


Angel With A Shotgun

by Xemriss



Category: Flight Rising, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-08 20:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xemriss/pseuds/Xemriss
Summary: Kehlm rolled onto his back as the sound of frantic, sporadic banging pulled him from sleep. He covered his eyes with a hand as if it’d help block out the sound, and it took him longer than it normally would to register what the sound was and where it originated from. Out of habit, he glanced at Maura’s side of the bed, frowned when he found it empty.





	1. Bloody Knuckles

**Author's Note:**

> Maura belongs to Griminal #309235 on FR.
> 
> Characters are in humanoid form.

[**Kehlm**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35887246) rolled onto his back as the sound of frantic, sporadic banging pulled him from sleep. He covered his eyes with a hand as if it’d help block out the sound, and it took him longer than it normally would to register what the sound was and where it originated from. Out of habit, he glanced at Maura’s side of the bed, frowned when he found it empty.

He forced himself to his feet, took a deep breath while he swayed, then followed the jars of dim light littered around the house as he padded to the front door.

Silence filled the small foyer as Kehlm made it to the front entrance. He pressed his forehead against the door and sighed in relief, gripped the knob as he wondered if it had all been a dream.

“Who is it?” Kehlm slurred.

“It… it’s me.”

Besides [**Maura**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40587259)’s, Kehlm could pick that voice out of a crowd. He stepped back and pulled the door open before his visitor could flee, came face-to-face with an uncomfortable-looking, yet relieved, [**Amilivojiel**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45292428). Kehlm gave him a tired smile, happy to see him despite the time, and moved aside so he could enter. “Come in,” he patiently coaxed in response to Milly’s hesitation; didn’t miss the state of his knuckles.

Suddenly feeling more awake, Kehlm easily willed the jars to briefly emit more light as he led Milly into the kitchen. He sat next to Milly at the table after lighting a few candles and grabbing the necessary supplies from the bathroom.

Without a word or look of judgement, Kehlm carefully took one of Milly’s hands in his, examined his bruised and bloodied day-old knuckles in the soft light before gingerly cleaning them. Though compassionate almost to a fault, he ignored Milly’s hisses of pain when the disinfectant found a spot of broken skin, ignored how Milly’s hand twitched and balled as he fought against his instincts to pull away.

The heavy, charged silence stretched on until Kehlm finished dressing his hand. Milly hadn’t shared what caused his current wounds, and, despite being curious, Kehlm didn’t press — knew that he’d share when he was ready.

“Is it worth it?” Milly asked, his voice easily cutting through the small space between them despite it being a soft, hesitant whisper.

Kehlm glanced at his dear friend as he started on his other hand. Milly’s untouched face was like an open book, even when partially obscured behind hair or darkness. He clearly saw the tension Milly held as he waited for a response; his electric blue eyes refused to look anywhere but at their hands.

“Is what worth it?”

Milly thickly swallowed, gestured at the dark room around them with his newly bandaged hand. “What we do. Is it worth it for _this_? Is it worth it for _him_? What if you…”

Kehlm frowned. He knew Milly had been struggling — with the sudden influx of Emperors, of the deities’ blatant silence and inactivity in response, of the sudden disappearance of the Tidelord, and of their Originator proclaiming that Imperials were _mistakes_ — but this was the first time he had willingly spoken about it.

The Lightweaver’s words had cut Kehlm deep, too, but he had always valued his duties to Sornieth’s inhabitants, to the delicate balance between life and death, over Her words.

“I believe it is.”

Milly huffed out his nose and pursed his lips, as if unsatisfied by the answer, and turned his attention to the candles’ flames. Nothing more was said as Kehlm finally applied ointment and wrapped his hand like the first.

“Stay here for the night,” Kehlm offered. “Maura won’t mind.”

Milly’s eyes snapped to Kehlm’s face in surprise and disbelief. When he didn’t rescind his offer, Milly’s shoulders sagged, and he looked a mix of exhausted, relieved, and _ashamed_. “…thanks.”

Mindful of the injuries he just tended to, Kehlm gently squeezed the hand still resting in his and gave Milly an encouraging smile. “You’re always welcome here, Milly. Let’s get you settled. You could use the sleep.”

Milly nodded, still dazed, and followed Kehlm to the guest bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr (fr: [**@frxemriss**](https://frxemriss.tumblr.com/), nsfw: [**@ifisitsitfits**](https://ifisitsitfits.tumblr.com/)) and twitter (main: [**@xemriss**](https://twitter.com/Xemriss), nsfw: [**@ifisitsitfits**](https://twitter.com/ifisitsitfits)) _!_ <3


	2. Kept Under Wraps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Milly’s eyes snapped open to an unfamiliar, tidy bedroom that was softly illuminated by the morning sun peeking through the curtains. Disoriented, he bolted upright, strained to listen as his eyes frantically darted around for clues to where he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maura belongs to Griminal #309235 on FR.
> 
> Characters are in humanoid form.

[**Milly**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45292428)’s eyes snapped open to an unfamiliar, tidy bedroom that was softly illuminated by the morning sun as it peeked through the curtains. Disoriented, he bolted upright, strained to listen as his eyes frantically darted around for clues to where he was.

Last night’s events flooded back when he glanced down at his hands and saw the bandages, now soiled and discolored, wrapped around his knuckles. He shakily sighed in relief and rubbed his face, then pushed himself to his feet after donning his boots and crept out of the room.

The smell of breakfast hit him as soon as he opened the guestroom's door. He tried to ignore his stomach as it painfully twisted in protest.

“ _Shit_.”

When Milly reached the kitchen, he froze at the sight of [**Maura**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40587259), who lightly hummed while he set the table for three. He glanced down the hall, yet before he could figure out a plan to get to the front door unseen, Maura turned.

“Good m—” Maura blinked in surprise, then seemed to perk up as he recovered. “Milly! Good morning. I had a feeling you were here,” he greeted, gestured at the table. “Come sit wherever you want. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“N-no, it… I was just…”

Maura fixed him with a firm look. “It’s not a problem.”

Aware that this wasn’t a battle he was going to win, Milly gave a stiff nod, watched a small, pleased smile appear on Maura’s face as he turned his attention back to the counter.

Milly _didn’t_ hate Maura, he generally enjoyed his company, actually, he just didn’t like how Maura could get under his skin with no effort.

Maura turned back to Milly after he settled in a chair, plate in one hand and a glass of juice in the other, and set them down in front of him. “Take your time, and don’t be shy about asking for seconds. There’s plenty. How did you sleep?”

Milly’s stomach twisted again, yet he wasn’t sure if it was because of the food in front of him, or because of how _nice_ Maura consistently treated him, even when — _especially_ when — he wasn’t being the best of guests. “I…” he cleared his throat, hadn’t realized how dry it had become, “I slept well, I think?”

“Good. The mattress is new.”

“Oh.”

Maura glanced at the doorway Milly had appeared from. “I’ll be right back.”

Milly’s gaze trailed after Maura as he strode from the room with the kind of energy that was only found in morning people. With shaky hands, knuckles dully throbbing in time with his heartbeat, he downed a third of his drink and finally started on his plate.

He forced himself to take his time, got about halfway through his first proper meal in days when Maura returned and filled the other two plates.

“[ **Kehlm**](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35887246)’s up. He’ll join us in a few. And afterwards we can get those hands of yours redressed.”

Milly’s appetite dropped with his stomach. He shoved his chair back and stood. “I… I should go. I don’t want to intrude any more than I—”

With a frown, Maura turned to him. “You’re always welcome here,” he said, echoing Kehlm’s words from last night. “At least stay long enough to have your bandages changed. I don’t want them to fester.”

Milly thickly swallowed. “I-I’m alright. They look worse than… I should…” he trailed off, attempted a smile. “Thank you.”

The silence that followed was deafening as Milly moved for the building’s entrance; felt Maura’s gaze on him until he was fully obscured from his view.

Milly leaned against the door after pulling it shut. He exhaled another shaky breath as he fought against the guilt and desire to take Maura up on his offer, then rushed off before either Maura or, gods forbid, _Kehlm_ , could follow and coax him back inside.

The throbbing in his knuckles gradually became more dignified after he balled his fists in frustration.

“ …such an _idiot_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr (fr: [**@frxemriss**](https://frxemriss.tumblr.com/), nsfw: [**@ifisitsitfits**](https://ifisitsitfits.tumblr.com/)) and twitter (main: [**@xemriss**](https://twitter.com/Xemriss), nsfw: [**@ifisitsitfits**](https://twitter.com/ifisitsitfits)) _!_ <3


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